Encore Vocal Arts

A special offer from Dance Kaleidoscope for friends of Encore.

If you loved our tribute to great musicals last Saturday, you'll love this offer from Dance Kaleidoscope. The group is putting on "Mad for Musicals" offering $5 off for Encore friends and patrons. Check out the program here at irtlive.com or call 317.635.5252.  

Shakespeare! Romance! Passion!

 
What a romantic evening we've got coming up! What could be better than Shakespeare's passionate and witty language brought to life in song and in scenes? Plus, this is a chance to truly revel in the beauty of the human voice. This is an a cappella concert in a venue with wonderful acoustics-- what our Artistic Director Chris Ludwa describes as "lush." All I know is that this is a Valentine's evening that literally sets the stage for romance!

Just take a look at some of what's on the agenda for the evening:

"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?" Romeo & Juliet
"The Lark at Heaven's Gate Sings" Cymbeline
"Who might be your mother?" As You Like It
"Over Hill, Over Dale" A Midsummer Night's Dream

Plus, there's a contemporary take on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew with selections from Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate:

Too Darn Hot
So in Love
Tom Dick or Harry

If you want to reserve your tickets now, just visit encorevocalarts.org and then plan for some special romance this Saturday!

Holiday Lounge-- I feel like I'm in "White Christmas"

 

Remember all those great old holiday Hollywood movies where everyone got all dressed up and went to the nightclub to hear Rosemary Clooney or Bing Crosby? Well, Holiday Lounge is exactly that vibe (except for all the all dressed up part). This Saturday, Encore Vocal Arts is presenting talented young singers from IU's Singing Hoosiers in a casual cabaret atmosphere. Not to knock those big-budget, over-the-top holiday extravaganzas, but Holiday Lounge is really what the season is all about. Intimate gatherings. Lots of favorite holiday songs. Friends and family. Maybe a peppermint martini.

If you'd like to experience some of that retro holiday ambiance, join us Saturday night, December 4, downtown at the Hilton Hotel and Suites. And students under 18 are free with adult paid admission. Just like those cool nightclubs in the movies, seating is limited, so email your ticket order in today to: info@encorevocalarts.org. And "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!"

I bet you'll hear your holiday favorite at Holiday Lounge:

• Carol of the Bells
• It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
• Let it Snow, Let it Snow
• Christmas Song
• Winter Wonderland/Silver Bells
• White Christmas
• SIsters
• Counting Your Blessings
• Santa Baby
• Sleigh Ride
• The Christmas Waltz
• Merry Christmas Darling
• I'll be Home for Christmas
• Home for the Holidays
• What are you doing New Year's Eve?
• Baby It's Cold Outside
• Christmastime is Here
• Frosty (a la Harry Connick, Jr.)
• Jingle Bell Rock
• Zat you, Santa Claus?
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
• Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Mozart Requiem is VERY interesting to me. Such a timeless piece of music. Our rendition will be thrilling, dramatic, and all for a good cause, to raise awareness of Brooke's Place for Grieving Children. Sat. Nov. 13 at 8pm. I will personally guarantee that anyone who attends will not be disappointed. If they are, I'll treat them to some other concert! Tickets at 576-7676.

A Concert with a Purpose...

As I sit here at my computer thinking about what to write when it comes to the experience that is to be - the perfect combination of Mozart's Requiem, Encore Vocal Arts, Zionsville High School Chamber Choir and a benefit for Brooke's Place, I can't even begin to put into words how truly moving this moment will be.

When looking at my calendar yesterday, November 1st, I am reminded of the fact that it was "All Saint's Day" or "All Soul's Day" depending on which calendar you're looking at.  How fitting that this day came around the time when EVA and ZHS are combing forces to tackle one of Mozart's most well-known pieces, his Requiem, a piece that would normally be performed at the time of someone's death.  When thinking about the purpose of All Saint's Day, which is to remember those who have left this world, I can't help but take it personally.

Last November, I lost my Grandfather to brain cancer.  He went into the hospital on November 1st and passed away ten days later.  For me, being a young adult and loosing a loved one for the first time where I could truly comprehend the magnitude of the situation, it was one of the most difficult things that I have ever had to deal with.  

Grief is like the five-letter word that no one likes to talk about.  That one thing in the back of your mind that we all deal with in different ways.  For most of us, we are fortunate to have loved ones around when these times of grief arise and these events happen when we are old enough, hopefully, to understand our grief and the processes we need to go through.  Some of us are not fortunate enough to have loved ones around or it happens when we are young and don't know exactly how grieve.  This is why Brooke's Place exists - to give young people a place to grieve.

November 13th, 2010 will mark a special day in the arts community when EVA and ZHS team up to benefit Brooke's Place with the performance of Mozart's Requiem.  This is not just another concert - this is a concert with a purpose.

Matthew Hougland, 1st year member of EVA

Saturday, November 13th, 8pm, Zionsville United Methodist Church, Zionsville, IN 

Encore Vocal Arts Teamwork in Technicolor Binds a Broken Community

Hello all:

I am taking a moment to start blogging about what's happening with Encore Vocal Arts. Why should anyone care? Because EVA is a unique organization whose work transcends boundaries, brings people together, and works to create the kind of world we want to live in. How often do you listen to the news now in disgust, regardless of which side of the aisle you're on. If you're conservative, you're annoyed at liberals. If you're liberal, you're frustrated with conservatives. Many of the things we are all encumbered with right now may be impasses. What Encore offers is a chance to reconnect with yourself, with history, with nostalgia, with others from all walks of life, without relying on a shared religious view, political opinion, or social status. This Saturday night, we will offer a concert called Teamwork in Technicolor that brings the best songwriting teams in history to the stage of the Basile Opera Center, a great new performance venue in Indy at 40th and Penn. All the favorite duos that brought musical after musical to the world will be there, along with images from the shows. What you may not know is that these songwriting teams weren't always in agreement about things in their lives. But they shared a desire to tell a story that would touch people at their core in songs that have lived for over 50 years and still mean something. Once again, it seems that this Saturday Oct. 2 will prove that music can bind up, at least for a few hours, that which has been torn asunder. Join us for this incredible concert in a beautiful venue. You will NOT be disappointed. Tickets at 317-576-7676, or go to www.encorevocalarts.org. Oct. 2 at 8pm, 40th and Penn.

Wishing you well,

Chris

New additions to the silent auction for Encore gala

This year's silent auction continues to grow with great donations coming in every day. Here's the latest:

$100 gift certificate to Ruth's Chris Steak House
Suite at the Conrad Indianapolis
Banana Republic Gift Set
Overnight Stay at the Omni Severin Hotel
Cabaret Tickets
Tax Preparation Services
Painting by Kyle Ragsdale
Round Barn Salsa Gift Basket

and much, much more...

Check back later for details! And make sure you RSVP to the event on Saturday, January 30, so you'll get a chance to bid!

Lou Harry to host Encore Gala

Meet this year's master of ceremonies, Lou Harry. We're so excited to have Lou involved in this year's event. As Arts & Entertainment Editor for the Indianapolis Business Journal, he not only is keenly interested in the arts here in Indianapolis, but is the author or co-author of more than 20 books. 

Lou is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association and the Indiana Film Journalists Association and has won numerous awards from the Indiana Society of Professional Journalists and has written for more than 50 publications and websites including Writers Digest, grandparents.com, This Old House and Variety. A frequent radio and TV guest, he can be heard weekly on WIBC and Fox 59. You can find him at www.ibj.com/arts. 

Join Lou and Encore Vocal Arts at the gala Saturday, January 30, at the Skyline Club. Click here for more info and to purchase tickets.

Pick your favorite Motown tune.

Just got the song list for the Encore gala from Artistic Director Chris Ludwa and--wow, it includes what I bet are eveyone's favorites. Whether you grew up watching American Bandstand and Soul Train or just appreciate Motown, you'll recognize all these classics. Hope you can join us for what looks to be a "Supreme" experience!

AMERICAN VISION: A TRIBUTE TO RAY CHARLES AND STEVIE WONDER

Featuring Jerome Collins of Straight No Chaser with Lovlee Carroll, Ariel Simpson, & Terrilynn Dennie

Hit the Road Jack 

Georgia 

America 

Proud Mary

Uptight 

Superstition 

Endless Love

Supremes Medley (Baby Love, Stop!, and You Can’t Hurry Love) 

Higher Ground 

I Wish  

I’m Coming Out

Respect/Think 

Unchain my Heart 

What I'd Say

What the Fuss 

Positivity 

If Your Love Cannot Be Moved

My Cherie Amour

Last Dance

I Got a Woman 

Signed Sealed Delivered

Which is your favorite?

 

 

IU alumni take note: Straight No Chaser member to perform at gala

If you went to Indiana University or are a fan of a cappella music or love Motown, you have to plan on seeing Jerome Collins perform at the Encore gala. Here's some background on Jerome:

Jerome's diverse talent has taken him in many varied directions, having been featured most notably with the classic R&B group Earth, Wind, & Fire, or at Carnegie Hall as a featured soloist with the Cincinnati Pops, as well as on PBS. In addition, Jerome has opened for Gladys Knight, Lou Rawls, and Bebe Winans, and has collaborated with producers Darryl Simmons and Keith Thomas. While studying music at Indiana University, Jerome took part in many ensembles such as the IU Singing Hoosiers and the IU Broadway Cabaret, but his most memorable performances were with the renowned a cappella ensemble Straight No Chaser.

Straight No Chaser is debuting a new album in April as well as performing  at IU. Check out a sample of Jerome's talent here.

Encore in Black and White set for January 30 at Skyline Club.

Encore's 4th annual gala, Encore in Black and White, is back and better than ever. This year, join us for a dessert reception at the wonderful Skyline Club in downtown Indianapolis and be entertained by Jerome Collins of Straight No Chaser in a tribute to the best of Motown. And in honor of our 38th season, tickets are just $38 each. Click here to order yours now.

Check back for more information on silent auction items and the raffle for a getaway for two! In the meantime, mark your calendar for Saturday, January 30, and experience "Motor City in the Circle City" and support Encore Vocal Arts.